How much do homeschoolers really learn?

Question

Do they learn more in a shorter amount of time with less distractions or do they not actually learn that much and is playing hookey really as fun since your already at home would you rather go out to defeat the bordem of being in the house all day?

Answer 1

You don't have to learn all that much to do better than at PS, so even a HS kid who is goofing off  a lot can learn as much as they would at PS with just an hour or two of studying per day.

As for being in the house all day. Where DOES that idea come from? Does anybody know a HS kid who really does spend all their time at home?

Answer 2

Of course they learn more in less time.  They have one-on-one teaching.  You can skip the stuff that they know inside and out; you can individualize their learning program instead of having them sit through boring repetitions of stuff.  Plus there isn't all the wasted time of standing in line, or waiting while the teacher deals with announcements, paperwork, misbehaving students, fundraisers, or sitting in a class doing nothing because half the class is off on a field trip, or the countless other ways time is wasted in school.  You can take advantage of "teachable moments" and teach them things that they are interested in right then (and thus are more likely to remember).  You can use what you know about your child to make the lessons fit his learning style.  And you can make the lessons relevant to his life, another method of making the lessons more memorable.

The homeschoolers that I know do *not* sit at home bored all day.  We are very active during the day (and often find it hard to fit in all the activities that we'd like to do).  There are homeschool support group meetings at the park, field trips with other homeschoolers, sports activities (homeschool sports teams, martial arts classes, gymnastics, tennis lessons, even P.E./gym classes), programs at the public library, places around town that we tour on our own, library events, and more.  Plus getting together with other homeschooled friends just to have fun, or to learn something together.

Homeschooling doesn't have to be boring.

Answer 3

Apparently, more than in Public School!

Answer 4

They do learn more in a shorter amount of time, because the student:teacher ratio is much smaller and there is not as much time spent on redundant tasks such as roll call, stopping 29 or so other children from their tasks because you need to discipline 1 unruly student, etc.  

Homeschoolers do not get to play hooky.  I do not understand that comment.  In a public school setting, a student could make a parent think that they are at school while they are not, but since in homeschooling the parent is the teacher-well, you get the idea.  There is no lack of communication between the two.

We also do not get bored.  After we complete our lessons, we DO go out and about-while most children are still in school or on a bus, we are out at the park on a beautiful day, visiting the aquarium on a rainy day, going to the library to exchange our books, movies and cds, etc.  They are experiencing real life-the post office, bank, grocery store, etc. etc. instead of an artificial world where you are shut in with 29 other people from your neighborhood, born the same year.  Even though they are elementary aged, they are taking foreign language that is not usually offered in a public school setting until one reaches high school (and they are learning my children are learning Latin and Mandarin Chinese, which are not usually offered in most schools-you are usually stuck with French or Spanish).   They are taking piano lessons, playing with their friends, etc.  Since they are not having the life sucked out of them in public school, they still have a brain and imagination and rarely get bored.  If they do-they do something about that rather than complain about it and expect someone to instruct them on what to do.

Answer 5

ive been told that homeschooling excels in learning and understanding.

Answer 6

I WOULD LOVE MY CHILDREN TO BE HOMESCHOOLED, BUT BECAUSE OF MY SICKNESS I AM UNABLE TO DO SO. I TRIED WHEN MY #2 CHILD WAS IN KINDERGARTEN AND 1 ST GRADE, BUT SHE HAD LEARNING DISABILITY AND REQUIRED SPECIAL ED.

Answer 7

Home schooled children learn a lot.  In fact, many home schooled children achieve superior results when compared with those educated in our public school system.

The abject failure of our public schools is one major reason more and more parents are electing to home school their children.

Most states now have required curricula that the parents must follow and the children are tested to assure that they are actually covering the material.

There is, of course, the obvious lack of social interaction with other children.  This can be countered, if the parents take care to develop this aspect of their children’s education.

On the other hand, competent parents know their children and are probably better prepared to teach them what they need to know in a way they can learn it.

Children learn differently and at different paces.  A parent home-schooling a child and ardently focusing on educating him/her can accomplish far more than a teacher who has to deal with 20+/- kids in a class.  That teacher has to slow the fast learners down to the pace of the slowest learner or leave the slow learners behind.  

As a result, the fast learners become bored and frequently disruptive.  Their boredom severely restricts their ability to excel at the level their natural gifts would allow.  Frequently the best and the brightest drop out.  This is a tragedy for the person and for society in general.

This is an inherently inefficient system.  Home schooling, especially in the early years, can dramatically improve learning, if the parent makes a true effort to make it work.

Answer 8

Well, my home-educated brother scored in the top 99.75% percentile in the State when he took exams meant for 18 and 19 year olds. He was aged 14 at the time.

Btw, the only way for the vast majority of home-ed'ers to wag'd be to opt out of life because *gaining hands-on experience of a full and varied life* is what our education is all about.

Answer 9

Well, they usually at least learn how to write correct sentences and use punctuation.

Answer 10

My kids have learned a way more.  Once they get something, they don't have to wait around for twenty nine other kids to get it.  If they need a little longer on something, you can easily give it to them.  My kids are at least one or two grade levels ahead.  I don't push them.  They're just being allowed to move along at the rate they're capable of.  We school four or five mornings a week and the afternoons are spent on sports, music, arts, play arrangements, workshops, field trips, parks and volunteering.  We do play hooky, but it's kind of the opposite of how it would be in school.  Instead of skipping school to stay home, we skip school and go do something else.  We played hooky on Monday.  We went to the mall, which we rarely do.  We ate ice cream, rode the coin rides and bought shoes.  It wasn't even educational!

To court b:  I just want to add...we actually DO have a set school time.  No phone calls, visits or any other distractions are allowed.  In this way, we almost never have to school past about 11:30 in the morning.

To BraxOwl:  Kudos on offering Latin to your kids.  People call it a dead language but so much of our language is based on it.  If your kids ever go into ANYTHING legal, medical or scientific it will be a HUGE asset to them.  One of my nephews (also homeschooled)  just mopped up at a spelling bee partly because of his knowledge of latin root words.

Answer 11

First of all, most HS'ers are not "in the house all day".  We're away from home more than we are at home.

I can't speak for all HS'ers and no one can generalize HS'ers.  In our experience, my son learns TONS more than if he was at school.  Most of his deep, and broad, learning comes from the hours of free time he has to do self-directed learning, not so much from his formal curriculum work (we're like school-in-a-box meets unschooling).

My son learns in a much shorter time - especially in math.  In Kdg-3rd grade, he did two grade levels of math every 9 months or so (the amount of time a student is in PS each year).  He's 10 now and still speeding along, finishing up Algebra I.

My son doesn't have to "play hooky".  Since we school year-round, he gets enough breaks that he doesn't have to whine about wanting a day off.  In fact, if I'm busy with appointments, volunteer work, and errands, he'll just go ahead and work on his own.

For my son and I, homeschooling has no "boredom" (but it would if DS was in a B&M school).  Since my son works at the levels he's at and not forced into some grade level box, and since he gets to work on curriculum that matches his learning style...there's no boredom.  He doesn't have to do meaningless "busy work" or "seat work".  He learns it, we discuss it, he moves on - no waiting for others to keep up.

Right now the only distraction my son has is that his sister is trying to get to his computer while he's taking a test.  When proper boundaries are established, there are minimal distractions.

If you want to know how my son (only one HS'er of a few million) does as far as "learning more in a shorter amount of time", here are some stats from his EXPLORE testing (typically given to 8th & 9th graders)...at age 8 & 9, better than 90% of 8th graders for composite (all scores).  At age 8, better than 99% of 8th graders in science and at age 9, better than 99% of 8th graders in grammar.

====Thrice Blessed====

Let's not forget proper spelling and grammar, also.

Answer 12

My mother refused to teach me to read when I was in kindergarten, because the school had advised against home teaching: Parents might “do it wrong.” I had to learn from my sister, a first grader.

The natural hostility between trained teachers and do-it-yourself parents — not to mention older sisters — has waned in recent years. More parents are teaching their children at home. More school districts are collecting state funds for helping parents teach at home.

When a California appellate court banned homeschooling — unless Mom has a teaching credential — the reaction showed that homeschooling is here to stay.

California parents have “no constitutional right” to homeschool their children, the 2nd District Court of Appeals ruled Feb. 28. Parents face truancy prosecution and loss of custody if they don’t provide a credentialed tutor or send their kids to a public or private school that requires daily attendance, wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey in a sweeping decision.

Yikes! While the head of United Teachers Los Angeles expressed approval, everyone else screamed bloody murder. Homeschoolers’ groups and the parents in the case vowed to appeal to the state Supreme Court. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pledged to pass a law to allow homeschooling, if the ruling isn’t overturned. State Superintendent Jack O’Connell promised no change in the state’s liberal home schooling policies, saying “traditional public schools may not be the best fit for every student.” Newspaper editorials said there oughta be a law and it oughta let parents teach their own kids.

California law doesn’t mention homeschooling. Instead, the state has allowed parents to declare their home is a private school. Under state law, private school teachers must be “capable of teaching,” but don’t need credentials.

In 2002, outgoing Superintendent Delaine Eastin told school districts not to allow home-based schools. Under fierce attack, she then called for a law regulating homeschooling. Nothing happened and the new superintendent, O’Connell, let the issue blow over.

In the intervening years, homeschooling has flourished. Technology makes it much easier for parents to offer an enriched curriculum at home and to share ideas with other homeschooling parents.

School districts, public charter schools and private schools have created programs to help parents with books, computers, curricula, testing and sometimes with science labs, advanced math classes and other classes in subjects in which parents are weak. Some homeschoolers’ form co-ops or enroll in programs that offer sports teams, band, choir, student council, dances, etc.

In this case, Phillip and Mary Long, who object to public school teaching on homosexuality and evolution, enrolled their children in a Christian school that monitors their children’s progress. That was a “ruse,” wrote Croskey. The mother does all the teaching.

But the children’s education isn’t the real issue in the Long case. A runaway teen-age daughter accused the father of physical and emotional abuse. After a long, inconclusive investigation, a court-appointed lawyer for the two children still at home asked that the Longs be ordered to send them to a public or private school so they can be observed for signs of mistreatment. Presumably, the risk of abuse wouldn’t diminish if their mother had a teaching credential.

Nor would a parent, however educated and credentialed, be trusted to inculcate the communal ethic that the court’s decision demands.

“A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare,” Croskey wrote.

Gosh, why not abolish private schools? Some teach only academic subjects instead of “loyalty to the state and the nation.” And they hire uncredentialed teachers!

For that matter, how many public schools could stand court scrutiny on patriotism instruction?

Homeschool advocates don’t want a law, fearing the Democratic-controlled Legislature would regulate and restrict homeschooling. But they also fear they’ll be at the mercy of school districts, which could use truancy prosecutions to force homeschooled students into regular schools or into district-run independent study programs that receive full state funding for every student enrolled.

I don’t think this is likely: The movement will find better parents than the Longs — a mom with a master’s, kids who are spelling bee champs — to persuade DAs they have better things to do with their time.

One way or another, this ruling will not stand. It’s not just that the homeschoolers have lawyers and political savvy, which they do. They also have the support of the majority of parents who want a full range of choices, even if they’d never choose homeschooling for themselves.

Mom needs a credential to teach her kids? Not going to happen.

Joanne Jacobs, who blogs on education at joannejacobs.com, is the author of “Our School,” a book about a charter high school that prepares underachievers for four-year colleges.

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51 Comments

Ubu Roi:



I graduated at summa *** laude with a double major from a state university, and, upon graduation, I enrolled in a teacher certification program. I lasted 2 weeks. It was the most worthless, insulting, waste of time and money I ever entered into.

No one learns anything of value in teacher certification programs; they are state sponsored scams to enrich the universities and discourage anyone of talent or ability from ever entering into a public school.

If anyone wants a cold-eyed critique of the teacher accreditation scam, I recommend the books of Richard Mitchell; he’ll set you straight on the subject.

Mar 17, 2008 - 6:32 am



William:



How do citizens allow the government to become so involved in their lives, that lawmakers and judges can decide that they know more than parents do in the area of child rearing and a what is best for a child’s education.

Home-schooled children almost always test higher than public school children. The children in the states that have the least amount of regulationfor home schooling even test higher. Check it out.

Maybe that’s the reason the very wise California court has made home schooling against the law. We can’t have independent educated children can we? We certainly don’t want any more Abraham Lincolns.

This tyranny is insidious

Mar 17, 2008 - 7:12 am



tanstaafl:



With the decline in quality in education in America and sheer chaos holding the day in many American classrooms…

A dedicated parent (credentialed or not) wanting to teach his or her own children could hardly be a step down.

Yes, teacher certification programs can be a waste of time. At least when I went through, one entire year of graduate school was required for a lifetime secondary teaching credential in the state of California.

And it was a lot of BS theorizing (”educators” seem to love that stuff) and really not much assessment of competency in the areas of study for which I was credentialed. For life, anyway

Mar 17, 2008 - 7:20 am



tanstaafl:



However, when I was in school, there was an element of socialization taking place with other children that was a lot of fun.

Close friendships, singing songs together at Christmastime (altho’ many public schools seem to be choosing bland, “non denominational” songs over Christmas carols these days, in the name of some perversion of political correctness, also seemingly favored by brain dead “educators”…)

(the philosophy of educators today seems to be, everybody gets a blue ribbon, no one excels, because the other kids “feel bad”…)

Anyway, home schooled children would miss the socialization of elementary school. It is not the focus of school, but it takes place as an aside in school.

Mar 17, 2008 - 7:30 am



William:



The idea of socialization in schools is very overrated. Most home schooling families network and work with like-minded families. The real positive in home schooling is that knowledge gained is of a much higher quality, takes less time and enables the growing student much more free time. Obviously the free time is much easier to monitor by parents, because the kids are home or at sanctioned places by the parent. Not by school teachers that do not have the same investment in the child, and let many things (drugs, s*x, etc.) occur without batting an eye. So actually like the home school education, the child has a much healthier period of socialization with healthier peers.

Mar 17, 2008 - 8:32 am



Troy:



I agree with William: The lack of socialization for home schooled kids is a myth. We home school our two kids, and they have many social outlets.

One thing not mentioned yet: The model of having 25-30 kids of almost exactly the same age in a room with one adult prepares kids for…nothing. Where else in life would you find yourself in such a situation? Certainly not work.

This California ruling is disturbing. I disagree with Ms. Jacobs; I believe this ruling is only the beginning of government intrusion into home schooling. I hope I’m wrong.

Mar 17, 2008 - 8:51 am



Dadofhomeschoolers:



tanstaafl

Get off that canard will you? There are also some that find that every class has a scapegoat, and someone to bully. Our homeschooled kids can respectfully deal with newborns to octogenarians, volunteering time to both age groups, in what way aren’t they “socialized”? Since when is throwing a kid into a cell with 25 other kids the same age being “socialized”? You can see how public school socialization works in the “sullen, won’t look you in the eye, don’t talk to me, I’ve got to dress this way to fit in” kid at the mall.

Sociali

Answer 13

Our Public School system su*ks

Answer 14

I cannot speak for all home schoolers but I can speak for our situation.  

My son learns more at home than he did at school.   He was in public school from K-7.   We started homeschooling after several weeks into 8th grade at public school.   We saw that it was going to be a repeat of problems faced from K-7.

In my opinion, our conversations are very valuable in the learning process.    We have focused discussions that lead to conclusions  or more research.

Answer 15

I think it depends on the situation and the parents or whoever is doing the instruction.  I'm sure in some cases kids do learn faster and get to do more hands on stuff than in a classroom, but at the same time there's probably lots that don't do much learning and are allowed to goof off b/c mom is distracted by phone ringing, other kids at home, etc.

Answer 16

There's a kid in one of my classes who was homeschooled all through his primary and secondary years.  He's a little socially awkward but he's clearly one of the brightest and motivated kids at the college.

Also, he has no concept of a peer group.  He has no fear of going up to talk to people 25 or 55 years of age because he gives everyone the same respect.  But seriously, he's a whiz with sciences and engineering stuff.  Clearly, someone taught him very well and nurtured his mind.  So, this is anecdotal, but I think it's evidence that when done correctly they can learn even more than others.

After all, the goal in schools is always to tailor a program as much as possible to consistently challenge students AND lead them to mastery.  This kid who goes to my college got just that for all his years before college.

Answer 17

I was a homeschooled child in my younger years and I have been to a lot of places other children only get to READ about. I was very very yougn when I did start learning at home with my other brothers and sisters ( I am the last child ) but it gave me a better opportunity to be able to see the sites than to just imagine them

Answer 18

I am not a homeschooled child, but I plan on homeschooling my kids.  I happen to think that kids that are homeschooled do in fact learn more and gain more real life experience.  7 of my cousins were home schooled....they then went off to college and were all in the top of their class.  All seven have successful careers as well :)

Answer 19

I don't know how I'd react if I was in my house all day. I'll ask my friends if they know any homeschoolers who are stuck inside all day.

How much time in school is spent learning new material? You have a 40-minute class period. Figure 3 minutes for attendance -I'm not sure what happens at your local school but I know what happens at mine- and another 3 for collecting homework. 5 minutes to lead in. Let's be nice and take 5 minutes throughout the class for discipline. 3 minutes for giving out the next assignment. That's 19 minutes of class time not being spent on learning.

People working with tutors learn faster. People with smaller class sizes learn faster. So, doesn't it stand to reason that a 1:1 student-teacher ratio -either a parent as teacher, or an independent student- would work well?

The homeschooled kids who go back to school and suck are going back to school because homeschooling didn't work for them. The ones who are doing well with homeschooling are, for obvious reasons, not seen in school.

Answer 20

It depends on the person, just like any other student.  Since learning is impossible to measure... no one can answer this question accurately.

There are still distractions, that's part of life.  I never thought hooky meant staying home, but then I didn't think that about homeschooling either.  

Boredom?  That just shows a lack of imagination :D

Answer 21

Homeschoolers learn as much as their total potential will permit. A fast learner can complete multiple grade levels in a single year. I know of a few homeschooled 5th graders who are currently studying sociology, algebra 2, and anatomy. I know a homeschooled 11th grader who struggles with geometry. I myself am in 11th grade but have already completed the equivelent of 9th through 12th grade English and all of the science and math credits I need in order to go on to university, but I have not reached my potential and plan to take additional math and science courses, start college level composition and lit courses early, and take on a metric buttload of electives in areas of interest (music theory, sociology, computer science, and whatever else strikes me as interesting and worth while). It depends on the student and their potential, but typically homeschoolers do very well. Studies have shown that homeschoolers on average will score about two or three grade levels above their public school age mates on standardized tests, and many enter college full time at an early age. The great thing about homeschooling is that school is not a one-size-fits-all thing. The reason homeschoolers can go so far isn't so much because of a lack of distraction... Every home will have some distractions. It is because everything is student centered. The lessons and the curriculum as a whole can be adapted to fit a student's individual learning style, match their pace whether they're slower or faster, and appeal to their own personal goals and interests. Many families will let the children have some say in what materials are used and what courses are taken, and having a say in your education is a great motivater and you and your parents are able to make sure that every lesson in every subject will work best for you, challenging you while still fitting your learning style. Here's an example. I am blind and therefore not a very visual learner. I don't get much out of sitting and reading instructionson how to do math problems, memorizing written formulas, and writing out equations. I learn best by doing. So when we hit some bumps in the road in Algebra and Geometry, we changed things up a bit. Instead of sitting with a book and trying to absorb confusing information through an input that doesn't even work all that well (my eye), we got out the K'nex, the legos, the sidewalk chalk, some different sized and shaped containers, a peg board, some string, and some construction paper and scissors and I learned math with my hands, building models, playing games, illustrating how formulas worked, sorting, experimenting, and in general just learning by doing instead of looking in a book. I excell in science and history because of all the labs and hands-on activities and projects I get to do, and in English I have the freedom to use the most accessible format for everything whether it means working on a computer, using large print, reading in braille, using a magnifier, or reading audio books. I have a friend who has no disability at all but just doesn't do well with verbal instructions. They tailored his entire curriculum to fit this, giving him lots of reading materials and the opportunity to take lots of written notes when he does have to listen to someone giving instructions. Other friends are very creative and learn best when left alone with a question to answer and the materials they need to explore and experiment and find the answers on their own. Some students need more guidance than others. Others work best independently. Others still enjoy working in small groups with other homeschoolers. It all depends on the student, but when your curriculum is tailored to meet your individual needs, desires, and goals, ther'es nothing stopping you from reaching your full potential.

As for the whole "playing hookie" thing...why would you need to? Such a term really doesn't exist in the world of homeschooling, and honestly most homeschoolers I've met wouldn't want to. Again, you have a lot of way in your curriculum and a lot of freedom to make it an enriching and enjoyable experience. School will stop being boring, tiresome, and a chore, and you start to actually ENJOY learning again (I know. I went to public school before I started homeschooling and I've felt the change in attitude). And you certainly don't get bored staying in your house all day. Want to know why? ...because you DON'T stay in your house all day. This may be hard to believe if you've gone to PS all your life, but homeschoolers are some of the most socially active people you'll meet. There is so much in your community to get involved in, and outside of public school you'll have so much more time to get out and enjoy it. As a homeschooler, you'll probably spend 4 hours tops doing sit-down book work (if you do any) and even that can be enjoyable if you get interested in it and make it fun by doing hands-on, in-deapth activities to make it more exciting and get the most out of it. The rest of the time will likely be spent on field trips (ones you plan yourself with your parents, or trips you go on with a homeschool group or co-op of other homeschoolers), co-op classes (group activites and electives with other HSers), clubs and activities in the community (sports, music and art lessons, horseback riding, fencing, scouts, library organizations or activities, youth or community center programs, martial arts, drama club at a local theater, etc), spending time with homeschooled and public school friends, volunteering, going places you've always wanted to go to but never had time for, exploring new hobbies, and just enjoying life. If you join a homeschool group or co-op you'll get to experiencce things like dances, holiday parties, prom, movie nights, sports teams that compete with private schools or other HS groups, academic teams (math team, robotics team, OM, academic bowl, etc) science fair, geography bee, clubs you may not be able to find in the community, field trips (usually monthly to lots of unique places), grad night/graduation ceremony, art and music programs, special events like end-of-year or not-back-to-school trips to theme parks and such, and lots more. I've been homeschooled for about three years, and I honestly can't remember the last time I was genuinely bored. I actually just got home from a long guitar lesson, got to set up a bunch of new chemistry equipment that came in the mail and do a few interesting labs, had some friends over to help me with the garden we're planting and then go for a swim, and now I'm packing to leave for Baltimore in the morning for a Youth Leadership academy for blind highschoolers. I spent he past few weeks with my boyfriend and two of our friends traveling the state looking at different colleges we're considering (all the while taking my school work with me) riding horses, helping to build a house, building an e-library from the gorund up, and of course playing our music (I'm in a band), and I know homeschoolers who are still more active than I am. I honestly think the nae should be changed from HOME schooling to LIFE schooling or REAL WORLD schooling, since the old name implies that home schoolers do just that...stay at home all the time and do your blah-blah boring sit-down-and-read schoolwork when really homeschoolers spen dmost of their time living and learning in the real world. Anyway, I hope this answers your question.

Answer 22

Brax Owl said it all. I second her answer.

Answer 23

Not enough

Answer 24

I'm a public school teacher and I'm willing to admit that a home schooled child will get more done in less time.

My concern is that so much of the jobs today require group thought, decision making skills, and the ability to work together in general.  I'm not sure home schooled children have the opportunities to hone these skills.

Answer 25

my name is stacey i'm 14 years old and i'v been home schooled for over a year now and i think it's been very succesful. it's been so succesful that i'm doing my course work this year then i'm doing my GCSE'S next year and i'm going to collage.

hope this helped good luck.

Answer 26

In my opinion home school chilren much better learn all of the facts without the misguided social c**p. If done properly boredom does not need to be an issue so playing hookey is not desired.If home truly is where the heart is what better place to learn. I am a 47 year old man who had a motercycle wreck back in 1985.I have been a disabled shut-in ever since.Trust me I am alone so I understand the temptation of boredom.But learning helps to curb it !